Steam-engine



(No Model.)

' J. WALRATH. V

STEAM ENGINE.

'NO. 281,809. Patented July 24, 1883 I UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JESsE \VALRATH, OF RAGINE, Wisconsin.

STEAM-ENGINE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,809, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed April 23, 1883. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JESSE WALRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

This invention was designed more especially to improve and simplify the construction of the steam-engine of such steam-pumps as are used on portable and traction engines, Where they are subjected to rough usage, in most cases by unskilled persons. However, the in vention is applicable to other steam-engines. My object is to use as few parts as possible in a compact arrangement, so that the steam-engine shall be less liable to get out of order than the steam-engines now usually employed in steampumps, and so that the parts may be built very strong without unduly adding to the weight of the engine.

To this end my improvement consists, mainly, of a fiy-wheel steanrengiiie, the main shaft of which passes through the steam-chest of the steam-cylinder, and carries a cam or eccentric for operating the slide-valve direct, the steam-chest being arranged in the axial line of the steam-cylinder to constitute one head thereof, and the inner end of the main shaft being supported in a socket-bearing of the chest.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have illustrated in the annexed drawings and will proceed to describe the best form thereof at present known to me.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of my improved steam-engine for a horizontal steam-pump. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof,

showing the fly-wheel in section and the steamchest minus its cover.

The same letters of reference indicate identical parts in both figures.

The steam-cylinder A is closed at its inner end by the ordinary cover, B, through a stuffing-box of which the piston-rod 0 plays. 0 refers to the piston. The .outer end of the steam-cylinder is closed by the head D of the steam-chest D, which projects in line with the cylinder, and is also in this instance cylindrical and of about the same diameter, its outer end being closed by a suitable removable cover, D". The steam-chest communicates with one end of the steam-cylinder through a steam-induction passage, (1, in head D, and with the other end thereof through a steam-induction passage, a (7., formed partly in the wall of the cylinder and partly in the head D, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. A steam-exhaust passage, (1 is also formed in head D. The ports of these passages a. d d d are controlled by a slidevalve, E, in the usual manner.

The slide-valve is operated by an eccentric disk or cam, F, on the main or fly wheel shaft F, which is supported in a sleeve-bearing, cl, and a socket-bearing, d", on the steam-chest D. The cam F operates between the two horns e e of a fork on the slide-valve, and may be constructed with a hub, f, for receiving a set-screw, f, by which it may be Secured on shaft F with proper relation to the stroke of the piston to give the Slide-valve the desired lead. An adjustable collar, F is secured to shaft F, close up against-theinner end of sleevebearing (1 This collar serves to hold the shaft F in position, as well as a packing to form a steam-tight joint around the shaft, the pressure of the steam pressing it constantly into forcible contact with the inner end of such sleeve-bearing.

The fiy-wheel G, secured to the shaft F, is provided with a wrist-pin, g, which is connected by pitman II with the cross-head 1, se cured to the piston-rod, and sliding on suitable guides on the frame K of the engine or pump.

By arranging the steam-chest in the axial line of the steam-cylinder I am enabled to obtain a very compact and wellbalanced engine, and by supporting the main shaft on both sides of the cam which operates the slide-valve, and by the use of a socket-bearing for the inner end of the shaft, I greatly counteract the canting tendency of said shaft without increasing the number of joints to be packed.

The slide valve might be operated by a grooved cam, or by a crank and slide, and Chest, and the cam on the shaft for operating 10 might be a compound valve. the slide-valve;

Having thus described my 1nvent10n, What I In-testimony whereof I affiX my signature in elann 1s 1 presence of two Witnesses.

5 The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the steam-cylinder, the steam-chest JESSE VALRATH arranged in the axial line thereof, the slide- \Vitnesses: valve, the main or fly Wheel shaft supported CHARLES H. LEE, at its inner end in a socketbearing of said Guns. H. MINER. 

